Deck 5: The shot: cinematography

Question 1

The form of Michael Snow's Wavelength is structured around which type of mobile framing?

A) slow tracking shots through an abandoned loft
B) rhythmic panning to catch the reactions of a crowd
C) a series of slow craning shots on a beach
D) an irregular series of zoom-ins across a room

Answer 1

D

Question 2

"Reframing" refers to

A) taking one lens off the camera and putting on another with a different focal length.
B) moving the camera forward after the master shot has been filmed, in order to get closer views.
C) making short pans or tilts to keep the composition balanced.
D) inserting hard mattes into the camera to achieve widescreen aspect ratios.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Terms for camera distance, such as "medium shot," are based on

A) the actual distance of the characters from the camera.
B) the focal length of the lens being used.
C) the size of the figures relative to the frame.
D) how high the actors' heads are in the frame.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a standard term for a type of mobile framing?

A) tilt
B) crane
C) pan
D) glide

Question 5

Tinting and toning are

A) printing techniques used to correct flaws in an image's color.
B) makeup used to adjust skin tones to suit the color balance of the film stock.
C) methods of using filters to change the color of the light on the set.
D) methods for using dyes used to add color to black-and-white film.

Question 6

A central characteristic of the cinematography in Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion is

A) long takes with a nearly static camera and complex staging in depth.
B) frequent tracking shots that emphasize significant details in the mise-en-scene.
C) innovative use of the zoom shot.
D) almost constant craning shots.

Question 7

Which of the following describes a type of widescreen image?

A) hard matte
B) composite image
C) full-frame
D) Academy ratio

Question 8

Deep-focus cinematography was popularized in 1940s in part by

A) Gone with the Wind.
B) The Crime of M. Lange.
C) The Wizard of Oz.
D) Citizen Kane.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a type of composite filming?

A) matte
B) rear projection
C) superimposition
D) front projection

Question 10

Which of the following statements is NOT true concerning Peter Jackson's use of computer-generated imagery in The Lord of the Rings trilogy?

A) It was used to create portions of the mise-en-scene.
B) It was used to create characters with individual artificial intelligence.
C) It was used to create digital stunt doubles for actors.
D) It allowed the use of computerized storyboards instead of the less advanced animatics usually used for special effects.

Question 11

A zoom lens is a

A) lens with an extremely long focal length.
B) lens that can change focal length while a shot is being filmed.
C) lens with a special mount that can be changed quickly between shots.
D) short lens used for rapid camera movements.

Question 12

An anamorphic process

A) has a built-in filter that permits "day-for-night" shooting.
B) is used to squeeze a widescreen image onto a strip of film.
C) is specifically designed for use on a Steadicam.
D) gives greater depth of field than any other type of lens.

Question 13

Technicolor was notable for

A) its soft, warm pastels.
B) its ease of use during shooting.
C) its rich, saturated hues.
D) its need for less light than earlier color processes.

Question 14

The projection speed for sound films was first standardized at

A) 24 frames per second.
B) 50 feet per minute.
C) 36 frames per second.
D) 30 minutes per reel.

Question 15

"Contrast" refers to

A) the difference between the darkest and lightest parts of a frame.
B) the darkest part of a frame.
C) a mixture of black-and-white frames and color frames.
D) the use of color to emphasize images in a frame.

Question 16

Slices of glass or gelatin placed in front of the lens of a camera to prevent certain frequencies of light from reaching the film are called

A) toners.
B) blockers.
C) exposures.
D) filters.

Question 17

"Depth of field" refers to

A) the distance the actors have to be from the camera to prevent their heads from going out of the frame.
B) the distance from the camera to the back wall of the set.
C) the range of distances from the lens in which objects filmed will be in focus.
D) how large objects appear within the frame.

Question 18

In a canted camera position, objects on the screen appear

A) upside down.
B) not to be level.
C) as seen from directly above.
D) as seen at ground level.

Question 19

In cinematography, "mask" refers to

A) a technique used to change the shape of the frame.
B) a filter placed over the lens to change the color of the scene.
C) the case placed around the camera to muffle its noise for sound filming.
D) shades used to keep sunlight from creating lens flares.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT affected by the focal length of the camera lens?

A) magnification
B) depth
C) scale
D) aspect ratio

Question 21

In a crane shot, the camera moves

A) in any direction along the ground.
B) above the ground level.
C) diagonally.
D) in circles.

Question 22

Digital grading allows for altering the color of shots in postproduction.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT true of an extreme close-up?

A) It may single out a portion of a character's face.
B) It may focus on a character from the waist up.
C) It may isolate an object.
D) It may magnify an object.

Question 24

A zoom lens allows filmmakers to magnify or minimize objects without changing perspective relationships in the shot.

Question 25

Which group of filmmakers is typically associated with the long take?

A) Orson Welles, Kenji Mizoguchi, Andy Warhol, and Gus van Sant
B) Howard Hawks, Buster Keaton, Robert Bresson, and Louis Lumière
C) Georges Méliès, Akira Kurosawa, Abel Gance, and Sergei Eisenstein
D) Erich von Stroheim, Samuel Fuller, Alain Resnais, and Richard Lester

Question 26

The range of tonalities in the image is most crucially affected by the exposure of the image during filming.

Question 27

What type of camera movement swivels the camera on a vertical axis?

A) crane
B) dolly
C) tilt
D) pan

Question 28

The speed of motion presented on-screen depends on

A) the number of frames per second.
B) the rate of projection alone.
C) the rate of shooting and the rate of projection.
D) frame size and shape.

Question 29

In what type of composite filming were angled mirrors used to create more realistic-looking backgrounds?

A) rear projection
B) front projection
C) matte work
D) side projection

Question 30

The Lumière brothers' early camera was too bulky to take on location, leading them to shoot in a film studio.

Question 31

A long-focal-length lens tends to squash the planes of action together, reducing the impression of depth.

Question 32

A low-contrast image displays a wide range of grays.

Question 33

A medium shot frames the body

A) from the chest up.
B) from the knees up.
C) from the waist up.
D) from the neck up.

Question 34

Shots in which a filmmaker prefers bumpy over smooth camera movements are usually created

A) by the operator walking with a handheld camera.
B) in the postproduction phase.
C) with a camera mounted to a dolly.
D) by the operator deliberately jerking the camera up and down rapidly.

Question 35

A moving circular mask that opens to reveal a scene or that closes to conceal a scene is called

A) an eye mask.
B) a lens.
C) a filter.
D) an iris.

Question 36

Wide-angle lenses are also referred to as "telephoto" lenses.

Question 37

Viewers are most aware of off-screen space when

A) it creates surprise or suspense.
B) a character looks or gestures at something happening off-screen.
C) a character is unaware of what is happening off-screen.
D) it has been shown several times in the film.

Question 38

"Racking focus" refers to adjusting the camera to change the plane that is in focus.

Question 39

Slow motion is achieved by slowing down the rate of filming.

Question 40

Rear projection seldom creates convincing depth cues in the frame.

Question 41

In an extreme long shot, a human figure appears tiny or is lost to view.

Question 42

Current 3-D technology creates a sense of depth by displaying flat-looking planes from back to front.

Question 43

Today long lenses are usually at least 100 mm in length.

Question 44

Action involving digital special effects must be shot in front of a blue or green screen.

Question 45

If two different lenses photograph the same scene, the perspective relations in the images they capture will likely be the same.

Question 46

(a) Describe and discuss at least three aspects of the cinematography in this shot/these shots in the time allotted.Be sure to discuss both the framing and the photographic qualities of the image.(b) How do the factors you isolate contribute to the meanings and effects of the shot?

Question 47

A "long take" is a shot taken with the camera at a considerable distance from the main subject of the shot.

Question 48

Discuss the use of off-screen space in this shot/these shots.Then go on to describe some ways filmmakers can use off-screen space, drawing on examples from Film Art, the lectures, and any of the films seen in this class.

Question 49

"Day-for-night" technique involves shooting outdoor day scenes at night.

Question 50

Describe some of the tools of mobile framing available to the cinematographer and some of the artistic functions they can serve.Give some specific examples from Film Art, the lecture, and any film seen for this class.

Question 51

The most realistic type of special effect is superimposition.

Question 52

"Perspective" refers to a set of spatial relations around a particular viewing point.

Question 53

Describe how computer-generated imagery was integrated into all stages of production in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of J.R.R.Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Question 54

"Aspect ratio" is the ratio of frame width to frame height.